Medicine supply device for patient with dementia

ABSTRACT

A medicine supply device is capable of dispensing an appropriate dose of medicine even when used by for a patient with dementia living alone who is unaware of presence of medicine to be taken, by calling attention of the patient on a phone. The medicine supply device has an animal shape overall so that the patient can know immediately. The medicine dose in a PTP package is held individually between an open hole in the upper plate  6  having appropriate elasticity and a lower plate  8  having an outfall opening, the upper plate  6  is automatically rotated when a time becomes that set in a 24-hour time  4 , and a medicine then is deliver to the outfall opening, thus a dose of a medicine is supplied to the medicine tray  16  by gravity.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a medicine supply device for a patient with dementia who does not know the presence of medicine to be taken.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the case of general medicine cabinets and medicine supply devices, a medicine needs to be taken out by the operation of a handle or a lever (For example, JP-A-2006-187321, and JP-A-2005-270602, Japanese Utility Model Registration No. 3085734, and JP-A-2003-210551).

Although there are some devices in which a medicine is automatically supplied by a timer, the intellectual operation such as a selection is required, as the plurality of medicines for morning, noon, evening, and before going to bed is supplied at the same time (For example, JP-A-2004-000489).

Most of the devices using timer raise an alarm, and some are used for the purpose of recording, but most of them are used for a doctor to supervise the status of taking medicine (For example, JP-A-2002-355294 and JP-A-2002-362652).

Although there are devices for supplying a medicine enclosed in capsule by a timer, the devices are complicated and large in size (For example, JP-A-09-253172).

There is a device having a shape of a doll, which is assumed to be a nurse, but the shape is not distinctive (For example, JP-A-05-184646).

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As described above, the general medicine cabinet or medicine supply device requires the intellectual endeavors such as button operation, lever operation, and selection of a medicine for morning, noon, and evening supplied at the same time. Thus, the device is useful for a person who can recognize the presence of a medicine to be taken, but it is difficult for a person who has a disability in memory or recognition to take a medicine.

There is a device raising alarm by a sound, a light, or a vibration, but it is difficult for the patient with dementia to relate the alarm to the operation of taking a medicine. For example, it is prospected that the patient will try to stop the operation of the device itself so as to stop the alarm, when the patient hears the alarm sound.

The difference between this device and the others is made distinctive, by making the device in the shape of an animal which is familiar to the patient since their childhood. A distinctive shape of a species such as an elephant having a long nose, a giraffe having a long neck, a turtle having a carapace on his back, a rabbit having long ears, and a cat having cat face is represented to the device to help the patient relate the word with the device. Thus the attention of the patient is turned to the device by the word. When the attention of the patient is directed to the device, the patient only needs to focus on the operation of taking the medicine supplied automatically.

As for the holding of the medicine, the medicine is applied to the hole in an upper plate 6 comprising of a circle plate or polygon sheet-like plate with appropriate elasticity, and the brim part of the PTP package is held on a lower plate 8 to be maintained.

There is a case a patient with dementia takes the medicine with the PTP package undetached. For such patient, the medicine may be taken out and be placed in the part of hole in the upper plate 6.

As for the medicine supply, when the time becomes the time set in a 24-hour timer 4, the medicine is moved in a concentric circle by rotating the upper plate 6. The device is controlled that the only medicine to be taken is supplied to a medicine tray 16 by detecting the rotation of the upper plate 6 by a dock attached to upper part or a side part of the upper plate 6 and the sensors 7 and 9, and by falling the only a dose through the outfall opening in the lower plate 8.

The sensor may be contact-type or noncontact-type, but an optical sensor may cause a malfunction of the device, since an aluminum foil is used for the PTP package.

As for the rotation of the upper plate, other force may be applied to the circumference in a tangential direction by the use of a belt, a chain, a gear or the like instead of rotating a central axis.

If there is a plurality of medicines for the patient to take, the plurality of the medicines can be supplied at the same time by adding an opening hole on the plate 6 in the central line or its proximity.

The medicine tray 16 is not covered or covered with a transparent cover, thus the medicine to be taken can be checked through the sense of sight.

A reminder to the patient is carried out by face-to-face or calling on the phone. If the medicine is in the mouth, it can be confirmed from the change of a pronunciation.

As described above, according to this medicine supply device for a patient with dementia, the patient can take the medicine simply by a care giver's urging the patient to take the medicine on the phone. Not only a medical effect, but also a delay of progression of the level for care need can be achieved by the regular administration of the medicine in a proper quantity. Moreover, a burden imposed on a care giver or a family for taking medicine can be significantly reduced.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an overall view of a medicine supply device for a patient with dementia according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a view of the medicine supply device.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Hereinafter, embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an outer shape of a whole medicine supply device. In this embodiment, an elephant is selected as an animal, since even a child can figure out the characteristics of an elephant and shows less difference in preference of an elephant.

In FIG. 2, 1 is a creation shaping a head part of an animal.

8 is a lower plate, which has an outfall opening in the front, and maintains the medicine by clipping the brim part of the PTP package with the upper plate 6. The hole to maintain a medicine is open in the upper plate 6, and a dock to detect the rotation angle is attached between the upper plate 6.

The medicine can be filled in by inserting the medicine to the gap formed between the plate 6 and the lower plate 8 by lifting the upper plate 6, and push the medicine into the hole. If the medicine is put out from the package, the filling of medicine is completed by dropping the medicine into the hole from the upper plate 6.

4 is a 24-hour timer, which turns electricity on to start the operation at the set time. The turning the 24-hour timer on for 1 minute is enough for the operation, since a general operation is performed for several seconds.

12 is a motor and a reducer of an actuator. The motor starts to rotate when it is turned on, and the upper plate 6 is activated to deliver the medicine.

7 and 9 are sensors, which detect amount of the rotation angle of the upper plate in response to the dock. The detection signal is processed by a control unit 3, and the motor/reducer of the actuator 12 is activated and stopped to supply a dose of the medicine. In the embodiment of the present invention, the one-eighth rotation is required as the amount of the rotation.

When the medicine is delivered to the outfall opening of the lower plate 8, the medicine falls down by gravity and guided in to the medicine tray 16. The head part of the elephant serves as a guide.

2 is power supply, which supplies power to the control unit 3 and the motor/reducer of the actuator 12 that is an actuator from a commercial electric power.

5 is a cover, which protects the medicine from a dust and prevents the patient from touching a medicine directly by not showing inside of the medicine supply device. The cover has an outer shape of animal.

The medicine supply device for a patient with dementia is characterized by plural medicine supply means wherein the plurality of the medicine can be supplied at the same time, by adding an additional opening hole on the upper plate 6 in the central line or its proximity, if there is a plurality of medicines for the patient to take.

EXAMPLES

The medicine supply device is placed beside a telephone, and the timer is set so as to supply the medicine at six o'clock in the morning. At seven o'clock, the question whether the medicine exists on the tray in front of the elephant shaped medicine supply device is asked to the patient on the phone. If there is a medicine, it means the medicine supplied is not yet taken, the advice urging to put the medicine in the mouth to take is given to the patient. The conversation is carried out to check whether the medicine is taken by the change in the pronunciation of the patient.

2 months before using device, there were the cases of taking no medicine or taking three times of proper dose at once,. In addition, there was a case that the patient repeatedly takes the medicine assuming that the patient was urged to be take more medicine, when a call was received.

However, since this device has been used, there is no case of taking medicine repeatedly or forgetting taking the medicine for 3 months. The advice for the patient with dementia who lives far away to take medicine is given in this way every day, and the patient's safety is also confirmed at the same time. 

1. (canceled)
 2. (canceled)
 3. A medicine supply device for a patient with dementia comprising: holding means for holding doses of medicine so as not to scatter, said holding means comprising: a rotatable upper plate having a first plurality of circumferentially spaced holes, each hole receiving one of the doses of medicine; and a lower plate arranged below the upper plate and having a planar surface portion for supporting the doses of medicine retained with the holes in the upper plate and an opening for dispensing one of the doses by gravity from one of the holes of the first plurality of holes in the upper plate, through the opening; delivery means for rotating the upper plate from a position where a dose is retained by the planar surface of the lower plate, within a hole in the upper plate, to a position where the dose is dispensed by gravity through the opening in the lower plate; and control means for repeatedly rotating the upper plate to dispense the doses of the medicine at timed intervals.
 4. A medicine supply device according to claim 3 wherein the upper plate further has a second plurality of circumferentially spaced holes radially inward of and radially aligned with respective holes of the first plurality, for dispensing a second dose of medicine through the opening in the second plate along with the dose from a hole in the first plurality.
 5. A medicine supply device according to claim 3 wherein the upper plate has the shape of a circle or a polygon.
 6. A medicine supply device according to claim 1 having the outer shape of an animal.
 7. A medicine supply device according to claim 1 wherein the upper plate can be lifted to insert the dose of a PTP package into a hole in the upper plate and to clip a brim part of the PTP package between the upper and lower plates.
 8. A medicine supply device according to claim 1 wherein the control means includes a timer. 